The End of the War
by DavidRanger
Summary: A human research facility has been all but forgotten on the planet of Fortuna. It has found the key to ending the war, but doesn't have a way to publish it. When Cornerians get stranded at the facility, the only person stationed at the facility comes to their aid. Hopefully, he can use them to contact Corneria to get the word out...after getting smitten by a certain blue vixen.
1. Chapter 1: Arrival

**I don't own anything except the OC's.**

 **Thank you everyone for the reviews. I had a very negative guest review, and changed the story based on that. Someone who is a registered user, VulpineLover, got me back on track. Here is the original.**

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Everyone on the ship was excited. We were finally approaching a habitable planet. Marcus pressed his face against the window to get a view. "Mommy," he whispered, his eyes full of awe. "Dat's real big." I smiled. "Yes it is." We had been in space for over a month now, looking for a planet that was habitable, yet free of human presence. They had seemingly declared war unannounced by launching missile after missile at our defense fleet. Corneria fell too quickly. Thankfully, Star Fox was there and pushed them off the planet so we could rebuild. General Pepper took command as interim Prime Minister, as Daali was held captive and her cabinet was...no more. Cornelia thrived again, rebuilding its fleet. We assaulted the first human warship we found, and that was the official start of the human-lylat war. We on this vessel numbered 23. We were the last survivors of a planet called Zoness. We dared not go to Corneria, as we would have to pass the human blockade to do so.

I was broken from my thoughts as the ship trembled. "Entering atmosphere, buckle up folks," said the captain over the speakers. We complied heartily. Just as we cleared the descent, we heard the captain say, "Well lookee there folks. A compound with a landing dock. Looks like we just-" his voice was interrupted by an explosion. "We're hit, we're hit! Engine one down! Evasive maneuvers! Wait...where'd they go?" Whispering between pilot and copilot could be heard. We heard nothing else as the craft floated down towards the landing dock. I was holding Marcus close protectively. Everyone was scared for our lives. What in the world just happened? Were we followed? Did they find us? Was the compound hostile? All these questions were running through my mind. I wish there were answers.

We landed without incident, and the captain informed us that he and two crew members would ensure the compound was safe prior to us exiting the craft. They returned in about two hours and informed us that the coast was clear. The captain explained that the compound was at least a mile long, by a quarter mile wide. There was a blast door halfway through that they couldn't find a switch to, so they left it alone and would hopefully find out what was back there later. There was enough living space to accommodate 50 families. Oh, thank you, whoever You are, watching over us! The crew then helped us unload.

"Come, Marcus," I said. "We're being assigned our rooms." He jumped up and down with glee. "No more shi-ip! No more shi-ip!" The captain closed the landing dock doors as the last of us filed into the compound. We were led by a cougar to the room and found it was...cozy, and comfortable. There were two main rooms, a living and bedroom. There was a spacious master bath, a walk in closet, a pull out couch in the living room, a king sized bed, an armoire, a chest, a coffee and end tables complete with reading lamps. I took in everything slowly. This was home now.

We found that the kitchen was huge, and fully stocked. The food was not old at all. It was…fresh! Everything was in collapsing capsules, ready to be opened in the expander. Oh, that food was great! As we lay down from our first day, I was satisfied, but worried. What was that explosion? Who were "they" the captain was talking about? With these and more questions running through my mind, I drifted off.

 _Knock knock knock._ I awoke to that sound. "Ugh, who is it?" I said, not wanting to move. "It's Crewman Jordan, ma'am. The captain wants all members to the conference room. He has good news."

"Alright. When?"

"Pronto, ma'am."

"Ugh. Alright." I heard the padding of feet and another knock followed by the same spiel to the next door. I shook my son awake. Blue eyes framed by a brown face opened to me, "Good morning, mommy," he said sleepily. I kissed his nose, giggling. "Good morning, munchkin. We're going to see Captain Canett."

"Do we have to?"

"Yes, dear. Come, let's ready ourselves."

We met Jordan, the cougar at the entrance to the residential hall. He led us and the others to a great room in the middle of the compound. A scruffy bull terrier stood at the podium. He began to speak as the last of us sat down, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have found great success in the last 24 hours. We have finally found a new home world!" Once the cheering died down, he continued. "However, this success will not continue without hard work. We have found literature at this compound that tells us of the useable flora and fauna on this planet, and how to properly utilize it, as well as how to operate this facility. I will never force any of you to do anything. However, your hard work to ensure our continued survival is a necessity. The food rations we have found will last us for several months, possibly a year. We cannot wait until then to start work. I know everyone is exhausted from the long journey, so we will have a week of reprieve to gather ourselves and become familiar with our surroundings." He paused to let it sink in. "A crewmember will approach each of you after this meeting and write down your individual skills, knowledge and abilities. We thank you for everything each of you has done. Please continue to comply with the crewmembers as you have been. This concludes our meeting."

An otter approached my son and I as we went to the door. "Good evening," she said politely. "And how are you sir?" She asked, leaning down towards Marcus. He said nothing and clung to my dress. She giggled. "You're cute aren't you? Well, then. Let's get down to business. Krystal McCloud, is it?"

"Yes."

"Knowledge Abilities and Skills? i.e. cooking, hunting, cleaning, building, knowledge of technology…?"

"I am a very good tracker." She started scribbling in her pad. "I am also skilled with my staff and hand-to-hand combat." I took a breath to let her catch up. "My staff is a ranged weapon. I speak Cornerian, Saurian and Cerinian. I am a very good cook, and I can keep a house well. I can sew."

"Ok," she mumbled, "Cornerian...cook…house, sew. Anything else?"

I shook my head.

"Alright! Enjoy your week off!"

I awoke the next morning and saw that Marcus's side of the bed was empty. I became frantic, calling out his name. I got dressed quickly and opened the door to our quarters to find him asleep at the threshold. I gasped. He had dirt and blood on his fur. I quickly grabbed him and took off to the medical ward. Some of the crew had medical training, albeit restricted mostly to life-saving. They made sure to have two personnel in the ward at all times. Sometime later, they found that the blood was not his, and he was uninjured. I was…baffled. Whose blood would be on him?

"Ma'am, he's waking up." I looked at Marcus on the bed. He was stirring. As he woke, he screamed, "MOMMYYYYYY!" I rushed over and held him gently. "Mommy, I'm so scared." He whispered as he buried his head in my chest. The staff looked at each other, obviously worried. What had shaken him up?

Once they cleaned his fur of blood and dirt, I took him to our room. He was scared of everything that moved. A short time after I put him to sleep, I heard a light knocking on our door. I opened it to reveal the captain. "Sir, I-" He cut me off by holding up his hand.

"We found the source of the blood on your son." I gaped. What was it? I nodded and stepped outside, all but closing the door. He spoke lowly so as not to alert others. "As best as we can tell, Marcus slipped out on his own last night, probably out of curiosity. We found what looked like a large carnivorous beast just outside the hangar doors." I gasped and had my hand over my mouth. He nodded and continued, "Whatever it was, it was coming for Marcus. But…" He glanced his eyes downward and back to me. "I don't think we're alone in this compound. Someone…some…thing shot that beast. The wound was unlike any I've seen in Lylat." He took a breath. "It was not a lucky shot, either. Hit it right here," he pointed at his forehead. "Ms. McCloud, I think whoever is running this base…either doesn't want us to see them, or they're waiting."

"For what?"

He shook his head. "I'm not sure. We can only speculate. But…whoever they are, they saved your son's life. The blood from the beast splashed onto your son, as it was not that far away when it died. Besides psychologically, he's fine." With that, the captain walked off. "By the way," he said, stopping. "Whoever they are, they knew what room he came out of. None of us put your son there this morning. Also, we found several tools and weapons in a storage closet this morning. They were not there yesterday. I'll show you to them later if you wish." Then he departed.

I went back into the quarters and sat on the couch. Someone else…here? But who? They obviously put all those rations there for us. And they know we're here. Who were they? Was there more than one of them? I knew they were watching us. There _were_ cameras in every common area. I checked the quarters just to be safe. No cameras. I held my head in my paws. Who would leave the docking bay doors open, stock the kitchen, give us tools _and_ weapons, then save one of our children from a wild beast? This was so much information to process. Ugh. I went and laid down with Marcus again. He wouldn't want to be left alone.


	2. Chapter 2: Intervention

I seethed as I watched the fighters wait until the transport shuttle was inside the atmosphere. These crooks didn't want any evidence of an illegal kill in space. God, help them. Help me.

"Tetra Squad this is ground base. Pull back. I say again, pull back. You are pursuing an unarmed personnel transport."

"{-} you ground base. Tetra Squad engage target."

"Tetra Squad this is ground base. Pull back or you will be engaged."

"Engage us you {-}. You ain't got no-OH {-}! SQUAD SERPENT PULL OUT! Hunter just got smo-"

I watched in satisfaction as the last of the black and blue colored fighters exploded in laser fire. Once all their traces were nonexistent I shut the orbital defense platform down. Part of the resulting explosion had hit the transport. I held my breath as they struggled to regain control, then released it as I saw them glide towards the docking bay. I ensured the docking bay of the research facility was fully open, lights on. It was night time so it would be easily spotted. The base was enormous, big enough to house more than 150 people.

I didn't care if the people I had just killed were human. I didn't care if the people I just saved were Cornerian. I cared that wickedness was squashed and innocence was preserved. That is what I live for. Every single day.

I didn't know how many people were on that ship, so I ensured the common area had enough food for 6 months for 50 people. I took enough to last me a year. After this, I closed the blast door to the research lab and went to the security room to watch and listen. They landed safely and sent in a two man team to check out the facility. I saw as they found the food and the information and survival books that my team had compiled. We had two bays, one aerial and one ground. I kept my phantom two seater fighter and my land vehicles, armor, weapons etc. in the ground bay. It was at the rear of the facility, far from the aerial one they were using but close to me. They settled in easily and seemed to appreciate the rooms.

Satisfied that they were taken care of, I turned in for the night. I was awakened by the motion detector some hours later. I hurried to the security room and looked for the source. I relaxed when I saw a small blue Fox looking around the complex. I smiled at the child's curiosity. I went to silence the motion sensor, but saw there was also one coming from outside. I scanned the exterior cameras. A tiger! At least that's what I had come to call them. A huge carnivorous beast with just as big of an appetite.

I heard a door chime and turned in time to see the boy had exited out of the eastern door. How he woke no one up baffled me. I looked back to the tiger which was at the southern side, looking around and sniffing. It then started towards the eastern side, showing it either smelt or heard the boy, or both. I bolted to my personal weapons and grabbed my 30.06 and some ammo. I left my pistol, as I didn't have the time for that. The tiger would be at the eastern door at any minute and I had to ensure it didn't get the boy. I climbed to the top of the facility as it wasn't tall. This was made to avoid easy detection if an assault were made on it. I got to the eastern side and looked through the scope. I couldn't see anything but darkness. I berated myself inwardly and switched the scope to NVG. I looked again and saw him, the boy. He was trying to get back inside, but the door had locked behind him. I then saw the tiger.

It was 50 meters away from him, stalking slowly. The boy began panicking as it heard a twig snap under the tiger's paw. The tiger, sensing this, started bounding towards its prey with a growl. I let out a shot, hitting the tiger square in its head as it was headed straight in my direction. It dropped and I shot it again for good measure. When I was sure it was dead, I panned back to the boy. He was laying down on the ground, eyes closed but breathing. I got down from the roof and shined my light on him. I saw blood. I pulled out my medpro and scanned him. No injuries. I shined the light at the tiger, now seeing how close it was when I dropped it. Of course some splatter would be a reasonable source of the blood on the boy's fur.

I picked him up and climbed back up the ladder. I couldn't leave him out here. The beast's blood would be attracting other predators soon. Thankfully he wasn't heavy, he looked to be about 7 or so. I got to the research side quickly and climbed back down into the facility. Going down proved to be a little more challenging than going up, with my precious cargo in tow. I set him down on a couch and grabbed my data pad which was linked to the facility. I scanned through the videos and found where he had come from. Room 32. I scrolled through the rest of the cameras and saw no one was moving. Now was the time to make my move. I carried the boy down through the blast doors and set him in front of the room where I found him, then scrammed.

It was about two hours before I would normally wake up, so I decided to stay up and watch him. This time, I locked down ALL the exterior doors. I would only unlock them when someone found the boy. I didn't want a repeat of what just happened. As I looked on through my data pad, a thought came to mind. They didn't have any weapons. Or tools. I went to the storage area, data pad hanging from my hip. I picked out some tools they would need for survival. I fully intended on feeding them and providing shelter, but if and when they ventured out into the planet to explore their new surroundings, they would need tools to survive the trip out and back.

I then picked out some weapons. I chose three hunting rifles (two .308's and a .243 magnum), four 9mm pistols, four 12ga shotguns and two assault rifles, as well as more than enough ammunition to sustain them for a while. I picked out a plasma pistol and rifle as well to include backup charges, knowing that is what they are familiar with. I scanned the cameras on my data pad to ensure no one would see me before I placed everything in the storage closet just outside the blast doors.

I went to my room and watched the little blue fox. I had grown fond of the little boy in the hour that I had known him. I wonder who's in that room? I set the motion detectors on so I would be alerted to movement within the base, in case I fell asleep. I prayed, read my bible, checked on the boy, and in the midst I must have fallen asleep, as I woke up to the motion detector. I looked at the boy first. He was Cornerian, but I didn't care. My heart is soft for children.

I saw another blue fox, a female, grab him and rush to the medical ward. I scrolled through the cameras to follow her, curious as to what would happen, and still kind of – I didn't know why – protective of the boy. I watched as he woke up, screaming. I hadn't turned on the mics yet, so I couldn't hear anything. So far they seemed peaceful. My chest ached as the little boy obviously had fear on his face. He was definitely shocked by what happened. I whispered a prayer for him and shut the video off.

I accessed the door controls on the data pad. I scrolled through until I saw _Lockdown: On/Off._ I switched it to off and the magnets on the doors deactivated. They were still locked, but not _locked down._ I went and took a shower as I prayed again and went over the day's events. She was pretty. No, she was stunning. The boy's mother, she had a…an atmosphere about her that was…indescribable. It was just…perfect. I hoped her personality was – I shook my head. She's a Cornerian, Javier. Like she would eye someone like you. Ugly, human Javier. As I got out of the shower I noted my features. Tannish skin with blue hair and blue eyes. I was mostly Hispanic with some Swede. The Swede is where my blue eyes come from. 6 feet tall, average build for a soldier. I kept my exercise routine from my time in the military to stay fit and ready for whatever this planet threw at me. I sat down on my bed and prepared for the day.


	3. Chapter 3: Fateful Meetings

One Month Later…

Falco's POV

I woke up sleepily as I heard my comm link go off. I reached over to my nightstand and picked it up, eyeing the caller ID. Peppy. "Mmm…Mornin' Pep," I said, yawning afterwards. "Hey Falco, we've got an urgent situation. We got a distress call from Zoness about two months ago and, as you know, we've been too barricaded by the humans to send anyone out. It looks like we might have a break, Star Fox."

"I'm listening." My wife sat up next to me. She was listening as well.

"We need you to get your Arwings over there. It looks like Venom is giving the human blockade a run for their money, so we should be able to slip a few small craft through undetected. But you can't take the Great Fox. It will be too bulky and get noticed."

"Ahh. When do we leave?"

"As soon as you're ready. 100,000 credits will be waiting for you. Krystal and Marcus are on that planet, Falco."

My eyes got wide and my drowsiness left instantly. "We're leaving by noon." Miyu nodded at my statement, getting out of bed. Krystal was the wife of the late Fox McCloud, a husky that served in the Cornerian military. He was killed while on a mission about a year ago. I took up protecting Krystal and Marcus, their son, as Krystal was like a sister to me. She _had_ flown with Star Fox for a few years prior to having Marcus.

"Good luck Star Fox. Remember the legacy you're building and keeping alive. Peppy out."

I got up and called R.O.B. "All hands on deck. We've got a mission." _Affirmative,_ came the robotic reply. I then heard the speakers blare out, _All hands on deck for mission brief. Repeat, all hands on deck for mission brief._ I donned my uniform quickly and left my room, jogging down the halls. When I entered the briefing room I found Slippy already there. "What's up Falco?" He asked. "We finally get to leave the planet?" I nodded. The green toad gave a "Yay" with glee. I shook my head. A kid with an adult's body. The door opened and Miyu walked in. "You know you could have waited for me," she said as she sat down. "What's the mission, dear?" I typed some info into the computer and pulled up Zoness. "We're going there. We've got a two month old distress beacon that Peppy wants us to check out. Our…friend's wife and son currently live there. We're going in blind, and without the Great Fox, as the human fleet is currently engaging Venomian forces. It's our only chance to break through undetected."

"The Great Fox would be too large, and would be an easy target to spot," Slippy put in.

"Exactly. And, as for going in blind, we have a beacon, but that's all. Peppy didn't mention a message. When we arrive at the planet, we'll plan it out from there. Any questions?" They both shook their heads. "Good. Star Fox, move out! We leave at…11." I said as I looked at my watch. That would give us two hours to prepare.

~~Later that day~~

"What happened?" said Slippy as he gasped. We were now looking at the desolation that once was Zoness. No humans, no Cornerians. "Miyu, scan for life signs," I ordered. After a short silence, the usually cocky feline was defeated as she replied quietly, "Nothing, Falco…"

"Arrgh!" I yelled through my gritted beak as I slammed the wall of the cockpit with my fist. They were gone. All of them. "Wait…there's traces of a Cornerian vessel leaving the atmosphere…there." A little hope stirred up in me. She singled out the trail so we could see it on our viewers. "It…it goes out a pretty long way, Falco. My best assumption is that somebody or some people made it out alive."

"There's no point in wasting time. Let's follow it. Miyu, lead the way, dear."

"Gladly. Let me see if I can track it before we head out, to save fuel...got it! It leads to…what? The…oh no."

"What? What? Where is it?" Asked Slippy.

Her voice held foreboding as she replied. "Fortuna."

The insectoid planet. Filled with carnivorous beasts, both mammal and insect alike. I shuddered, but quickly composed myself. "Miyu, set our course and shoot us the coordinates. We'll be right behind you," I said.

"Will do, honey."

If there was even a slight chance that Krystal and Marcus were alive, I'd take it. I needed to protect them. I got the coordinates from Miyu and I called out to ensure we were good prior to entering slipspace. Once everything was clear, we took off for Fortuna.

~~Javier's POV~~

I had turned the microphones on after the first couple of days. They had tried to get in the blast doors more than once, but were unsuccessful. I was surprised to hear that the vixen was the wife of the late Fox McCloud. Wait, he was dead?! No way! I had immediately started scouring online and found that "Hunter" aka Ron Boren was the one responsible. Falco Lombardi was being tailed and Fox came down to assist. Fox had damaged the human craft significantly, causing it to spiral down, or so he thought. Suddenly, a bomb came out of nowhere and demolished Fox's Arwing completely. I had closed my eyes. Fox McCloud, you have been avenged. I seethed as I had heard of how Zoness was scorched. Stupid human navy…killing women and children. They had become heartless, killing all Cornerians regardless if they were combatants or not.

I had to end this. And, I had the evidence to do so. Getting it off planet was the trouble though. The human government had destroyed the video I had sent to them a year ago. They would never admit they were mistaken in attacking Corneria. I sighed. Hopefully, I could find some way…

The orbital defense platform's range finders went off. I looked through my data pad to see…oh…wow. Star Fox was entering the atmosphere. They never hid their ID, always ready to show who they are to whoever would be stupid enough to attack them. Well, looks like I've got to make myself known. Star Fox will blow this place if they can't get in, or worse, take me captive after finding me. To circumvent that, I was planning on contacting them via radio and letting them hear the recordings I had as well as see the video of me saving the boy and providing much-needed items to their people.

"Star Fox this is ground base. Come in." I heard silence for a few seconds then a reply, "We read you ground base. What's your location?"

"I'm shooting coordinates to you now. We've got about 23 housed in here from the vessel that came from Zoness."

I heard a muffled "Yes!", followed by "Ok, and who are you then?"

"Allow me to send you an audio and video clip to explain that."

"Why-whatever. Alright."

I sent the audio recording of me taking out squad serpent and all the surveillance videos showing me taking care of my guests. I sat back and waited for Star Fox's response.

~~Falco's POV~~

I couldn't believe my ears! The survivors were ALIVE! Now, who in the world was this mystery man? I played the audio. I heard the 'ground base' guy on it. My eyes went wide. Tetra Squad followed them here?! Tetra Squad wasn't taken down that easily. Wait…more audio…

 _"Research log, year 2356, April 3rd. Tetra Squad illegally pursued an unarmed Cornerian vessel into Fortuna's atmosphere, most likely to conceal their crime of killing innocent civilians. Before they had a chance to attack, I warned them to pull back. They rejected my warning and I killed all three: Hunter, Grim and Nighthawk. I have prepped the base for the Cornerians to land and be comfortably established. End research log."_

I was flabbergasted. Only humans used years like that. Ours never got past the hundreds. Was this guy a…human? If so, he…really…saved the people on that ship…humans never did that. Or so I thought up until now. After some more thinking, I played the video.

When I finished, I was in utter shock. A human? Taking care of our people? Rescuing Marcus? Just...Oh...wow. This was too much. After several minutes of internal debate, I radioed back. "I'd like to meet you, ground base. We see your location now. Where should we land?" I can't believe I just asked a human where to land. He came back quickly, "Roger, Star Fox. The hangar in front has enough room for two of your fighters. The one in the back, where I am has room for one. I've sent beacons to you." Sure enough, the beacons came to my viewer. "Miyu, Slippy, land in the hangar in the front. I'm going to the back."

"What? Why" Asked my wife.

"Dear, there's only room for two in the front. Plus, I'd like to meet our people's rescuer." Wow. I really just called him that. I shook my head again.

"…Alright." She responded.

I flew to the beacon that was labeled "rear hangar" and circled around to land. "You guys in?" I asked over the comm. "Yep!" said Slippy. Miyu didn't respond. She was probably still sour for being separated from me. As I landed, I noticed a human sitting on a crate, lazily swinging his legs back and forth. He was looking at me the same way I was looking at him: With apprehension and hope. I readied my blaster, popped the canopy and dropped from the ship. The human sat there, his hands in full view. He had no weapons on him. I stood there for a minute, looking him up and down. We were both silent for a while, until I decided to speak. "What's your name?" I asked. He swallowed and took a breath before responding, "Javier Renaldo."

"Falco Lombardi." I nodded .

A small smile broke his solid face. "Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Lombardi."

He was still sitting on the crate. I wondered why he didn't get down, then realized he was looking at my blaster, held in my hand. Thinking it should be safe enough, I holstered my blaster and he almost immediately got down from the crate, albeit slowly. I shook my head. "Just Falco, please."

He smiled again. "You're polite. I'm glad. Would you like to see my abode?" He gestured to the door behind him.

"Sure." I started forward. As he turned, I saw that he had a combat knife in his belt at the small of his back. He was prepared. He appeared non-threatening, and it seemed I could trust him, at least for now. We walked through the door and I was awestruck. He had ground vehicles, weapons galore, and enough equipment to outfit a small army. He was _loaded_. Yet, he used it, seemingly, to help our people, and not hurt them. I followed him through the next door.

"Would you like something to eat, Falco?" He asked as we came into his living room.

I shook my head. "No, just wanted to say…" I took a breath, "thanks for keeping everyone safe."

He smiled warmly. "It is my duty and pleasure, Falco." His face then became serious. "Falco, you're probably wondering why I help you, and why all the other humans hate you."

I nodded, a solemn expression on my face.

"Let me show you," he said as he walked to another room. I followed. "This," he said motioning to the room around him filled with tech, "Is my research and security room. I can see and hear everything in the base's common areas from here, as well as cameras and mics set up throughout the planet. Now," He said as he walked to the huge black monitor on the wall, "Let me show you what I have been trying to get out for the last two years." He manipulated some controls and the screen flickered to life. "There…is a third party that is responsible for instigating this war," he said as he began to type away. My eyes went wide.

"A third party?"

He nodded. "Some Venomians hijacked a Cornerian vessel and used it to fire on a defenseless human frigate. They allowed the frigate to radio for help and jumped into slipspace just as the human navy came into view." This reeled me. So, Venom wanted us at war with each other? Why? No. I knew why. They wanted us to wipe each other out so they could rule without insurrection. They wanted the whole galaxy to themselves. I began to seethe with anger at the idea. I was suddenly jerked out of my thoughts by a noise as the screen showed a video.

 _The screen showed a first-person view of someone running through the all too familiar foliage of Fortuna. He was breathing heavily and narrating as he went. His voice was not Javier's._

" _Research log…The…huff…year is 2352, Feb 1_ _st_ _. I…huff…found a cruiser of unknown origin entering the atmosphere…with another in tow. The first was red and black…huff…in color…the second was…huff…white and…green." The screen cut to a view of a Cornerian freighter suspended above the jungle floor by pylons, with Venomians working on it like a bunch of bees. Lasers were being attached to the underside as well as a battleship class photon ray on the front._

"That's enough." I said. Javier paused it and looked back at me. "Please, let me finish the video. It…really means so much…" he said as his eyes began brimming with tears. I sighed. "Go on." He nodded and continued the video.

 _The narrator continued, "It seems as two main species, primate and reptile are working on this ship." The camera panned back and forth to take in the scene, and stopped on the visage of a small monkey with combed back hair. "This seems like the one running the operation. He's…standing there giving orders…" Then the screen zoomed in and a new voice slowly rose on the speakers…_

"… _ll it be done?" A reptilian in front of the monkey replied, "We are almosssst finisssshed, Lord Bowman. Only a few more daysssss."_ My eyes went wide. Bowman? Dash Bowman? That traitor! I was going to wring his neck when I saw him! My fists clenched in my crossed arms.

 _The other voice responded, "Are you positive that the new race you found is peaceful?"_

" _Yessss. They did not fire on ussss when we were within range, Lord Bowman."_

" _Good. Soon, this new race will attack Lylat, and they will destroy each other. In due time, the galaxy will know the voice of VENOM!"_

 _The camera then showed the person turning and his hand hit some buttons on his left wrist. His wrist suddenly disappeared, showing he was using active camouflage. He sneaked onto the vessel and got to the bridge. There was blood everywhere. "They must have hijacked this vessel," the narrator began. "They must plan on using it to instigate a conflict." His camouflage flickered off and he pulled out a scanner of some type. He hooked a wire from it to the bridge computer. "Oh, my Lord…this…oh no. I'm transmitting everything back to the research facility. These…things, they plan on using this vessel…to attack one of our ships…and blame it on another race, the Ly-AHHH!" There was the sound of blasters and Venomians screaming as the camera showed him falling. "This…is…Christopher…Williams…please…ah…publish…this…v-"_ And the video stopped.

I looked at Javier, whose tears were in full bloom. The ground at his feet was now wet. I placed my hand on his shoulder as he sobbed. He then looked up at me gratefully and patted my hand. "Will…" he said as he began to compose himself, "will you publish this, Falco? Please. This war must end."

I nodded slowly and hit my communicator. No time to lose. "Peppy come in."

"Hey Falco! What's the situation?"

"We found Krystal and Marcus, but Zoness is scorched."

He sighed. "I wish we could have gotten there sooner-"

I cut him off. "Pep. I have some very grave news for you. Venom attacked the humans unprovoked four years ago, before the start of the war. They did it in a hijacked Cornerian frigate, which they equipped with battleship armaments."

He was silent for a minute. "You mean, Venom attacked them, and that's why they attacked us?"

"Exactly. Bowman is the mastermind. He wants us to wipe each other out."

"Oh, this is not good. I'll send the information to Pepper and the front lines right away."

"Thanks, Pep. I'll send you the proof here in a minute." I looked at Javier who nodded and hit some buttons on the computer. My communicator lit up seconds later, showing it received a message. "That was fast."

He shrugged. "Two years by yourself, you tinker with stuff." I smiled. Humans weren't so bad after all.

"Pep, I'm sending it now."

"Thank you, Falco. Peppy out."

Javier was crying again, but this time with a smile on his face. "I…I can't believe it's happening. God, thank you, so much Lord. Finally, Chris. Finally. Your efforts were not in vain."

I looked down solemnly. A human had sacrificed himself to try to prevent this war. I suddenly had more respect for their race than I ever did. Fox had sacrificed himself to save my life, as well as all of Lylat.

"Falco," I looked up. "Can you introduce me to my guests? I've been keeping myself hidden for obvious reasons."

I nodded. "I'd be happy to, Javier."

He led the way to the blast doors and hit some buttons. He stood to the side as they rose up to go into the ceiling, allowing me to be the only one that was seen. I saw my wife talking with Krystal and a familiar Pit Bull. "Hey Bill," I said stepping out into the area.

* * *

Thank you everyone for your reviews. Please R&R.


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